美国国家构建进程中的共识与分歧——对1787年宪法制定和批准过程的分析

The Agreements and Disagreements in US State Building——An Analysis of the Formulation and Ratification Procedure of the1787 U.S. Constitution

美国的国家构建,起因是邦联政府的治理危机,内容是联邦宪法的制定和批准,成果是延续至今的美国宪政体制。本文从国家构建理论出发,围绕政府权力的来源与归宿、分割与制衡,对1787年宪法制定和批准阶段各方的分歧及其背后的共识予以分析。在宪法制定阶段,制宪代表面对共同的治理危机,通过闭门会议,就宪法的设计展开谈判,达成妥协,凸现了各派力量的利益冲突;在宪法批准阶段,联邦主义者和反联邦主义者基于共享的政治理念,通过公开辩论,就宪法的总体精神和具体条款陈述双方见解,突显的是各派意见的理念分歧。这些分歧不是美国国家构建的基石,那些共同面对的挑战,相互依赖的利益,共享的记忆与理念才是十三州合众为一的根源。因此,在总结美国政治发展的历史经验时,应该认识到国家构建的重点和难点,以及共识与分歧的必然性和可变性。

The U.S.state building process was set in motion by the governance crisis of the federal government.It evolved around the formulation and ratification of the federal constitution,with the American constitutional system being its fruit,which lasts to this day.By employing the theory of state construction,the origin and purpose of government power and its checks and balances,the author tried to analyze the disagreements in formulating and ratifying the 1787 U.S.Constitution and the agreements behind the disagreements.Jointly faced with the governance crisis at the stage of formulating the constitution,members of the constitutional assembly launched negotiations and reached comprises behind doors,which highlighted the conflicts of interests of different parties.At the stage of ratifying the constitution,federalists and anti-federalists,based on their shared political ideas,explained their views on the general spirit of the constitution and specific provisions via debates in public,which displayed the theoretical divergence of different parties.These divergences,however,were not the corner stone for building America.What truly bond the 13 states in one were the challenges they both faced,the interests they jointly relied and the memories and ideas they all shared.Therefore,while we looking back and drawing lessons from the progress of American politics,it's necessary to recognize that the key and difficult factors of state building,as well as the inevitability and variability of agreements and disagreements.